The commotion over at the Gryffindor table was hard to ignore.
But the truth behind it wasn’t clear to the other houses...
"Looks like they’re arguing about something?"
"Draco, don’t you want to go check it out?"
"Your little kitten is being—ow! You hit me on the head again!"
Pansy clutched her forehead, glaring at Draco in both embarrassment and frustration as he calmly withdrew his hand.
They were close, yes, but she hated being treated like a child.
"Don’t talk nonsense."
Draco had, of course, noticed the disturbance as well.
He also realized that the young witch who had left such a strong impression on him didn’t seem to have made any friends.
Given her tendency to constantly "show off" her knowledge and her proud, self-assured nature, it really wasn’t easy for someone like her to bond with others quickly...
"Let’s go. It’s about time."
"Huh?"
"Stop wondering. That idiot isn’t nearly as fragile as you think."
Though they hadn’t interacted much, Draco had come to understand a bit about Hermione.
However...
If he had known the argument was because of him, perhaps he wouldn’t have left the dining hall quite so nonchalantly...
...
There are 142 staircases in Hogwarts.
Some are wide and spacious—roomy enough to hold a hundred wizards without issue.
Others are narrow, unstable, and wobble so much they hardly look safe for walking.
Then there are the ones that change destinations at set times, or the ones where a step might suddenly vanish halfway through your climb—you’ve got to remember where to jump.
It’s hard not to suspect these stairs were built just to mess with first-years...
"Draco, stop studying that door! I don’t want to be late for our first class!"
"So that’s how it is... every door here has its own way of opening?"
"Not this again—why did the stairs disappear?! Hurry up, Draco!"
Draco’s thoughtful expression might’ve been charming at any other time, but all Pansy could think about was Professor McGonagall’s stern face—and the frustrating stairs beneath their feet.
Annoyed, she yanked Draco out of his daze and pulled him forward.
At this point, only Pansy could get away with doing that.
Goyle and Crabbe wouldn’t dare go against Draco’s will—even if they also couldn’t understand what was so fascinating about those vanishing doors...
...
Sure enough, when Draco finally reached the Transfiguration classroom, more than half the new students were still missing.
The seats were mostly empty.
It was obvious—those unpredictable staircases had thrown the unprepared first-years into complete chaos.
If they hadn’t asked a passing upperclassman for help, Draco and the others might’ve ended up lost too...
Now he finally understood why some older students looked at the new ones with that “this’ll be fun to watch” smirk.
"Another cat?"
Draco really did seem to have a knack for attracting cats.
Last night, he’d seen one wandering the castle.
Now there was another one, perched right on the podium in this classroom.
But this one felt... different. Strange, almost unsettling.
"A magical creature, maybe?"
He was curious, of course. But given it was in the classroom, there had to be a reason.
Unlike the other wide-eyed, clueless first-years trying to tease it, Draco held back.
That cat seemed far too human...
While he waited for class to start, Draco felt a gaze locked on him from behind.
In a way, it was another kind of kitten.
"Hmm... What is it, little idiot?"
"........."
Hermione flinched slightly at his sudden turn.
But when she heard that infuriating nickname, her already sour mood snapped.
"I’m pretty sure I told you my name!"
"Or are you the real idiot, who can’t even remember something that simple?"
She shot back in a sharp whisper.
But Draco remained completely unfazed.
"That’s exactly what I mean... Haven’t you noticed how everyone’s looking at you?"
It wasn’t the first time Draco had warned her about this.
And clearly, she still hadn’t listened.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t still be sitting alone, without a single friend...
Draco didn’t carry the same arrogance most Slytherins did.
But in the end, he was still a Slytherin.
And Hermione? A Gryffindor through and through.
It didn’t seem like a big deal.
But in truth, it was more than enough to explain why no one from her own house wanted to sit next to her.
There might’ve been other reasons too.
Draco didn’t know—he didn’t have that information.
But he wasn’t blind.
The moment they started talking, the Gryffindors nearby all shot them strange looks...
And Draco highly doubted Hermione hadn’t noticed.
"It’s not a big deal, right? I mean, it’s not like you’re some villain or anything."
"Bold and fearless... and apparently pretty stubborn, too. Classic Gryffindor."
"You make it sound like you think all Gryffindors are brave but brainless."
"Hmm... So you are thinking things through after all."
"........."
"........."
Hermione, fuming, had already pulled out her wand.
Seeing that, Draco dropped the topic entirely.
Since she clearly didn’t care, he saw no reason to press it either...
“...”
Although Draco and Hermione didn’t pay much attention to the stares around them, Pansy, standing nearby, had had enough.
“You Gryffindor—what’s your reason for getting close to Draco?!”
It was only then that Hermione noticed the cute girl standing next to him.
She frowned slightly, her big eyes narrowing.
Hermione didn’t quite understand why she even cared about someone as infuriating as Draco, but that didn’t mean she had any hidden motives—let alone malicious ones.
And she certainly wasn’t going to accept a baseless accusation like that.
If anything, she’d just gotten into a bit of a spat with her own housemates recently… over Draco.
“Slytherin, what exactly do you think I’m capable of doing?”
Hermione lifted her chin and shot back without hesitation.
Sitting in the back row gave her a height advantage, and her presence easily overpowered Pansy, who had to look up just to meet her gaze.
The sudden shift in tone made everyone in the classroom quietly glance their way.
Yes... this scene—this tension between Gryffindor and Slytherin—felt exactly as it should be...